Automatic display-sign



J. B, BARNETT.

AUTOMATIC DISPLAY SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1918.

1,336, 11 1 Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

affozncg J. B. BARNETT.

AUTOMATIC DISPLAY SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1918.

. Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. B. BARNETT.

AUTOMATIC DISPLAY SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY14.I918.

1,336, 11 1 Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

aftozuq UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. BARNETT, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO B. 'N. TU'IT,

OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC DISPLAY-SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

To all vi mm it may concern Be it known that I, JoHN B. BARNETT, a citizen of the Jnited States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and Estate of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Display-Signs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to automatic movable and changeable display signs and has provided a novel, simple and efficient form of construction in which the signs are automatically moved to and fro and alternately displayed.

Automatic alternating display signs are usually attended or cared for by persons inexperienced in mechanism, and it is essential that the construction be positive, simple, durable and inexpensive, also that the sign be attractive.

The present invention has provided an automatic alternating display sign that is positive in operation, simple, durable inexpensive and attractive.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, the accompanying drawings illustrating a form of the improved automatic alternating display sign.

In the drawings:

Figure 1, is a face view in elevation of the improved automatic display sign with the wall inclosing the operative mechanism broken away to show a portion of the interior.

Fig. 2, is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, with the cylinders and piston rods shown in full view.

Fig. 3, is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4, is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5, is a fragmentary enlarged hori Zontal sectional view taken on line 5-5 of- Fig. 2.

Fig. 6, is an enlarged. fragmentary sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. is a view of the rotary valve lookingat he bearing or operative face.

11 1g. i 1s a viewed from the opposite side from that of the view Fig. 7.

Fig. 9, is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 6, with the air supply ports of the valve and valve casing head registering.

Fig. 10, is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 1010 of Fig. 6 with the valve in the same operative position as that shown in Fig. 9, and illustrating the air exhaust ports of the valve and valve casing head.

Fig. 11, is a view of the intermittent gear on line l111 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 12 is a vertical central sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

The face plate 1 as shown rests upon the concrete base 2, the base being formed in the ground 3 and inclosing the operative mechanism as will appear hereinafter. the base and ground being broken away to illustrate the relative position of certain operative parts. The base however is not part of the invention as the sign may be displayed in various places where the concrete base would not be practical, as in a show window.

Upon the plate 1 rests the lower wall 1 from which rise the end walls 5, the guide strips 6 being secured in any usual manner to the end walls and the structure formed thereby covered by the upper wall 7, the walls 5, 6 and '7 extending inwardly at right angles to the outer surface thereof and, forming a rectangular opening with the lower edge 8, upper edge 9 and side edges 10, for the display of signs.

The lower part of the opening 8, 9. 10 is closed by the sign 11 which is not movable and may be employed for the display of any desirable matter which it is not desired to change only from time to time.

The frames 12 are mounted loosely between the guide strips 6 so that they slide freely upward and downward therebctween, and have secured thereto the sign bearing sheets 13, upon which the changeable signs appear.

The frames 12 rest upon the piston rods 14 view of the rotary valve as r ranged in. a circle in the head, the head being provided with the exhaust port 21 approximately in the center thereof.

To the head 19 is secured the cylindrical valve casing 22, the head 2 closing the opposite end of the casing, and passing through the latter head and journaled therein is the valve stem 24 on which is formed the valve 25, with the air inlet port 26 and air exhaust port 27.

The valve casing has connected thereto the air supply pipe 28 which may be supplied from any usual source with compressed air, the compressing of the air being no part of the present invention.

Rigidly mounted on the valve stem 24 is the intermittent gear wheel 29 into which meshes the intermittent gear-pinion 30, the latter being mounted on the shaft 31 journaled in the brackets 32 projecting from the base plate 33, the latter containing the valve casing and the motor 34: as well as the brackets, the means of mounting the valve casing motor and gear connections however will always depend on the conditions to be .met when installing the display sign and may be varied with wide range without departing from the essentials of the invention.

On the shaft 35 of-the motor 3 1 is rigidly secured the worm 36 which meshes in the worm gear wheel 37, the latter bein rigidly mounted on the shaft 31.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the rotary valve 24: will be rotated slowly and intermittingly by the motor and it is always rotated in a direction that will cause the air inlet port 26 to lead the ex haust port 27, and as the port 26 registers with the port 20 the air will drive the respective piston upward in the cylinder 15 and raise the respective sign plate 18, the sign being raised while the port 26 is in communication with the port 20, and when the port 26 reaches the next successive port 20 the respective sign will be raised and the one'last raised will lower to the position of the display sign in which the cylinder 38 is provided with the spiral shaped piston rod 39 on which is mounted the plate 40, the piston rod and plate being shown in dotted lines in upward position, it being under stood that the plate rotates as it ascends and descends.

This form of cylinder may be connected to any one or all the pipes 18 and the plate 40 employed for displaying signs or articles of merchandise such as hats, shoes, fancy articles and the like.

What 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an automatic alternatingly changeable display sign, a frame, a plurality of guide ways in said frame, a plurality of plates for bearing signs mounted in said guideways, an air cylinder for each of said sign plates, connections connecting each of said cylinders with the corresponding sign plate, an intermittingly rotary valve arranged to alternately and successively admit air to said cylinders and allow the air to exhaust therefrom.

shown in Fig. 2, by reason of the port 27 registering with the port 21 and exhausting theair, these movements being constantly successively repeated as long as air is supplied to the valve casing 22 and the rotary valve 25 rotated.

In Fig. 12, is illustrated a modified form 2. In an automatic alternatingly changeable sign, a frame, a plurality of vertically disposed guide ways in said frame, a sign plate mounted in each of said guide ways, acylinder below each of said sign plates, a piston in each of said cylinders, a valve controlling the admission and exhaust respectively to and from said cylinders, a pair of intermittent gears controlling said valve, and a motor driving said gears, so that said sign plates may be continuously successively displayed.

3. In an automatic alt'ernatingl'y changeable sign, a frame, a plurality of vertically disposed guide ways, a sign plate mounted in each of said guide ways, a cylinder adjacent each of said sign plates, a piston in each of said cylinders, said cylinder suitably connecting to said sign plates so that air admitted to each of said cylinders will raise the corresponding sign plate, a valve casing, pipes connecting from said valve casing to said cylinders, a rotary valve in said casing, ports in said casing arranged in circle, an inlet port and an exhaust port in said valve, means to intermittingly rotate said valve, inlet and exhaust ports in said valve casing, the inlet port in said valve successively communicating with the inlet ports in said valve casing, the exhaust port in said valve successively communicating with the exhaust port in said valve casing, said inletports and said exhaust ports simultaneously communicating, and said exhaust in said valve following the inlet port in said valve so that air will be successively admitted to and exhausted from eachcylinder.

JOHN B. BARNETT. 

